NaucassiaaOfWind- ITA! I also want to point out that Pax’s orginal “name” probably wasn’t even used very much when he was in the orphanage. The sad fact about orphanages is that many times, there are so many children there that the people running the orphange simply cannot spend very much time with them. Therefore, they obviously don’t use the name very much. Also, I have heard that, in most cases, the “name” a child has in an orphange isn’t really really his or her “name”. What happens is that the child is found abandoned (like Pax was), and the people at the orphanage just give them a random name.
In fact, if anything, I think it’s actually GOOD that Angie and Brad changed Pax’s name (and I think it’s sweet that it was Angie’s mother that came up with the name). The fact of the matter is, most kids who have spent time in an orphanage do not have very pleasent memories of the place. For example, I know of one woman who was adopted when she was about eight. For some reason (I can’t remember why exactly, and I know it wasn’t to adopt a kid.) she visited an orphanage as an adult…and literally ran out of the place screaming after being in there only a few minutes. That was because all of her unpleasent memories of spending part of her childhood in an orphanage came back to her.
Of course, like I said, she was eight when she was adopted, which is five years older than Pax is. HOWEVER….I also know of a little girl who was adopted and, even though she wasn’t even two, would not tolerate sleeping in a crib. Her parents were pretty sure that was because of her time in the orphanage, where cribs are lined up next to each other in several rows.
Anyway, my point is, if Angie and Brad had kept Pax’s orginal name, it may have just reminded him of his unpleasent memories of the orphanage.

NausicaaofWind,

About the memory thing:

I’ll ask my Dad about something I did or said as a child, and he’ll say “You remember that???” and I’ll say “Yeah, how old was I?” and he’ll generally say 18-24 months old. I’ve been told I have a *really* good memory, so I know not everyone is like that. But, Pax *may* remember later on.

On the other hand, just as a development/adjustment thing, those memories may fade. Who knows?

Does nobody know that even Maddox and Zahara had different names before Angelina adopted them? I remember Maddox’s name was Rath, and I don’t remember what Zahara’s name was. Why is it that people ridiculously got worked up over them changing Pax’s name when Angie did the same with her first two? Maybe because they were babies?

Anyway, it’s the right of every parent to name their own kid. Chances are Pax isn’t going to remember a time when he wasn’t Pax. Kids can’t store memories until they’re about 3 or 4.

Understood.

I didn’t even know that it was an issue; must have slept through that one. It’s weird the things that rile people up, isn’t it?

No Lee, that wasn’t aimed at you. When they first adopted Pax, they got so much crap for changing his name and I thought it was silly. Adopting parents change their childrens names all the time, regardless of age. It’s just another example of how the general population can do something and it’s okay, but if Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie do something it automatically comes under a stupid amount of scrutiny.

I don’t know if you’re including me in your statement, but it wasn’t a fuss on my part. As I said before, it was curiosity. What was the conversation like? I don’t have any strong feelings about the actual name change, I just thought it’d be interesting to see how they communicated this with a 3 year old who doesn’t speak their language.

I think it’s silly that so many people made such a fuss about changing the name. In most cases (now, I’ve only worked in orphanages in Haiti and Brazil, so it might be different, but from what I’ve heard it’s usually not) the name the child grows up with in the orphanage isn’t specifically theirs and often doesn’t even come from the birth parents. More often than not, the kid is brought in nameless and someone (a director or nanny) picks a random name for them.
To change an older childs name when the child is coming in to a home where the language is different, you simply start referring to them as that new name. With a three year old, there might be some pointing and “You are Pax, I am Mommy, this is Maddox…” etc that went on, but really, the child is learning a new language anyway, so he probably was just rolling with the new name.
I love everything that Brad and Angelina stand for. I think they are doing amazing things in this world and they are handling the constant intrusions on their family with grace and dignity. Those are four lucky children!

Posted by: “Anonymous Mommy” at Jun 13, 2007 9:25:57 PM

I think it’s pretty lousy of your mom to judge how different women handle different pains.

Nah, she always says it with a laugh. She is a doctor, after all, and she doesn’t judge her patients, or me whenever I do have a baby.

I don’t think anybody needs to worry about the Jolie-Pitt children traveling and changing schools. Children adapt to all situations, especially when they have each other to talk to and play with. My sister’s husband worked for the State Department and their three kids traveled all over the world and they now speak French, German and Spanish like natives. They talk all the time about the friends they made and the places they lived. It was a great experience for all of them. I wish I had had that experience.

All my childrens births were all nearly silent, except when the gas and air fell out my mouth!lol and apart from the really long swear word when i felt my son’s head coming out, i swear i felt every inch of that boy!, I have 3 children . 5 and a half,3 and 18mnths and i am 7 weeks pregnant! i had an epidural with my first so did not feel a thing which i regret as i still have back pain now, with my 2nd and 3rd i only had gas and air, the trick it to put the mouth piece half in your mouth to begin with otherwise it can make you sick, then when i was comfortable i put it all in and left it there!! it has little effect it its in and out so no one was taking it away from me!! then i closed my eys and let my body take over, 8hrs later there was a child! all done naturally and almost quietly oh and i love gas and air!!